At its iPhone-centric event that saw the unveiling of the new iPhone X and iPhone 8 equipped with Qi wireless charging capabilities, Apple announced a new wireless charging accessory called "AirPower."
Designed as a simple oval-shaped white charging mat, AirPower is able to charge the iPhone X and the iPhone 8 inductively. It also works with the Apple Watch Series 3 models and a new AirPods charging case that was briefly mentioned during the keynote.
The new AirPods charging case is identical to the current case, with the exception of a new indicator light located on the outside of the body and the wireless charging capabilities.
In addition to being able to charge through Apple's AirPower charging mat, the new iPhone X and the iPhone 8 will also be able to charge using Qi-based charging accessories. Apple will partner with companies like Mophie and Belkin to create iPhone-specific accessories, but all Qi chargers should work as event videos showed the iPhone charging in cafes and other locations.
According to Apple, its AirPower charging mat uses a new kind of charging standard that is able to support multiple devices at once, so it won't be immediately available.
Apple plans to ship the AirPower in 2018, but a more specific launch date hasn't been announced. Pricing is also unknown at this time.
Top Rated Comments
I can't believe Apple actually decided to do this with their products... They used to be smart in the past. Now it's just market hype and to have feature parity with other brands, no matter how dumb a feature is.
People and companies change their mind. This was 5 years ago. I'm willing to bet there are things you feel differently about now than you did 5 years ago.